Book Reviews from a Book Lover

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Monthly Archives: July 2014

I received a copy of this ARC a few weeks ago and to be honest I was really nervous about starting the book. I have a problem where I get all these books I really want to read and then can’t decide what I’m in the mood for, plus, I work full-time, am an active runner, and beginning the process of grad school. Needless to say, I have to plan time to read, and when I make it through a book in two days–like I did with this–you know that it is something special.

I tend to gravitate towards fantasy/supernatural YA, or let’s be honest, Princess Books, but once I started “The Girl He Knows,” Kristi Rose had me rethinking my entire reading strategies. How many other gems have I missed!!

Synopsis (as told by me): Paisley finds herself in bed with her best-friends older brother Hank following a rather nasty divorce. Hank is in the Navy and therefore insanely attractive, plus he’e always been there for her and knows her better than she knows her self. Paisley; however, has some issues–cause obviously she has to–and can not see what is right in front of her (i.e. Hank is the one). Throw in a funny group of girlfriends dealing with their own marriage/romance issues and you have sage advice, wisdom, and at times, some feel good feminism. Paisley dates a jerk, has a revelation, and Hank is #overit….you’ll have to read the book to find out what happens next!

What I Liked: I really liked Hank. He was realistic. A lot of novels in this genre tend to gravitate towards the unattainable billionaire, who is 28, hot, and controlling. Hank, is just a really smart, caring, guy–it was a little refreshing. I know guys like Hank and that made this all the more enjoyable to read. I also enjoyed how Rose would show you a scene from Paisley’s POV and then at the end of the book made you realize that Paisley is kind of clueless. I never knew who to root for, or which character had the most stable relationship. Again, this was really refreshing. I liked how Rose showed the realities of what it means to share a life with another person, and that sometimes people on the outside looking in may not have all the answers.

What I didn’t Like: I hate to say this, but Paisley was kind of annoying. She was a very weak-willed character and I never really knew what the heck the problem was that lead her there. Sure she’s got issues, but I never saw them as being large enough to let herself be sexually assaulted. It seemed she led a pretty charmed life and it made it really hard to sympathize with her and her “issues.” I also struggled with the ending. I liked it, but it felt very abrupt to me and I would have enjoyed something a little more flushed out.

What I would Have Liked to See More of: Single ladies! I totally get that this is a book about relationships, perceptions, and the ability to be okay on your own, but there wasn’t really anyone on their own to drive that point across. The one single character–excluding Paisley– ended up in a relationship and everyone else was married or getting there. As someone in the same age demo as the group in the story, I struggled with the concept that in you mid/late twenties being married is so important. Sure, it happens, but I don’t think everyone is struggling towards that end goal. Marriage was a huge, huge theme in this book. The general consensus seemed to be–marriage =good, single=bad. There were some real gems of female empowerment here, don’t get me wrong, but I would have liked Paisley to understand that marriage shouldn’t be your end goal; it’s not what dictates your success or failure. The problem is, she doesn’t have any true examples of what this looks like. Hank delivers a rousing speech at the end about being comfortable solo, and even I was like ‘”man if everyone in my life was married I’d be so sad single.” Basically, the message looses it’s meaning to Paisley and the reader.

Overall, I highly recommend picking up the book. It’s a fast read full of wonderful writing, and a truly sweet romance. Plus, hot Naval dudes…I grew up near the Naval Academy and just trust me on this one… 7.5/10

So, sometimes when I am bored at work I troll Goodreads for new books to add to my list. The problem with this is that I am that person who usually has about 5 books in her cue. Here are the latest books I am dying to get my hands on, some are out, and some are being released in the next month. Here’s my latest Wishlist Wednesday!

Ghost House has been getting a lot of hype recently and I am really excited to get my hands on it next month. England, check; supernatural romance, check; old-timeyness, check. Count me in!

I just got my hands on this and I am so pumped to read it! This is going to be one of those books that I blow off real life for, I can just tell. Again, it has been getting a lot of hype ever since BEA and since it’s release it has received some great reviews. Personally, I love royalty books–contemporary, historical, or fantasy–does not matter to me. Be on the lookout for my review coming sometime in the upcoming weeks.

This actually was not on my radar until today when Epic Reads released their list of books to watch out for in August. Usually, I don’t really go for contemporary romances. It takes something truly special to catch my eye, and the description definitely did that. Southern royalty, yes please. I absolutely adore the South and since I’m a “yankee” I always feel like it is this magical place. Novels that set themselves on the other side of the Mason-Dixon feel like a fantasy to me. Add a good love story and you may be seeing a non-fantasy YA review on here 🙂

So here are the top three books on my wishlist, which ones are on yours?

She has a destiny so great that even the gods fear her.Constant hallucinations and the frequent conversations with the voices in her head, have earned eighteen-year-old Chloe Clever the not-so-coveted title of “Whack Job” in her home town of Adel, Georgia. Fed up with prescription meds and therapists, she wishes for a life where she is destined to be more than the butt of everyone’s jokes and mockery.Be careful what you wish for has never rung more true.After a vicious attack and learning that her favorite rockstar is an Olympian god, she is thrust into her new life as the Oracle of Delphi, the prophesier of the future. Setting out to fulfill the prophecy she has been given, Chloe learns of how great she is to become, all the while fighting mythical monsters and trying to outwit the ever-cunning Greek gods who harbor secrets of theirown. While on a mission to discover the Most Beautiful, she strives to uncover the mysteries of he demigod Prince who has sworn to protect her with his life…and threatens to win her heart in the process.

Review:

I was given an ecopy of this book in turn for an honest review. Let me start this review off by stating how much I love the new Greek Mythology trend and am so glad to see it res-surging. When I was first given this book I was a little hesitant to get started, since sometime the genre can be a little kitschy. I will say that this took me a few chapters to really get into, but once the plot picked up I was hooked.

What I liked: The demi-god characters. They were hysterical and hot. I loved the romantic lead in this, maybe because he was a rockstar, or maybe because Jones just wrote him with so much swagger. Not only was the boy amazing, but I found the plot to be very interesting. It had just enough intrigue that it kept me enraptured, but I didn’t find it overloaded to the point where I was super confused or where it meant the book was dragging.

What I meh-ed on: So, I didn’t outright dislike anything, but like I mentioned before I did find it hard to get into initially. The beginning of the book lags a little, and is a little confusing. Luckily, I was on a plane so I didn’t have much else to do other than power through. Don’t give up! It picks up and does so amazingly. Not only did I find the beginning a little slower but Chloe was hard to root for in those first few chapters. I didn’t get her deal and I wasn’t really invested in her as a character until the middle of the book.

Overall, after a bumpy take off I found the book to be really enjoyed able. Make sure to stick it out, you’ll really find something special in it.

Giveaway:

About the Author:

Diantha Jones was born the day thousands of turkeys sacrificed their lives to fill millions ofAmerican bellies on November 22 which also happened to be Thanksgiving Day (Her mothersays she owes her a turkey). She is a Journalism graduate who wants to be a career novelist (ofbooks, not Facebook posts). When not writing or working, she is reading on her Nook, beinghypnotized by Netflix or on a mission to procure french fries.The Oracle of Delphi fantasy series is her first series. She is also the author of Mythos: Storiesfrom Olympus, a companion series, and there is another fantasy series in the works. She alsowrites (new) adult fantasy/paranormal romance under the name A. Star.Author Links:http://www.diantha-jones.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5815616.Diantha_Joneshttp://www.twitter.com/DianthaJoneshttp://www.facebook.com/dianthajones

Wow, so it has been a few *cough* a lot of weeks since I have posted. Generally, I try and stick to a pretty strict post schedule but between an impromptu vacation and my best friends wedding things have been absolutely insane. I’m calling this week, my “Take Back Your Life Week.” It will all begin with a new ARC review of “The Prophecy of the Most Beautiful.” I am really excited to get to reviewing and get back into the swing of things.